Patient Education on Congestive Heart Failure
Cardiomyopathy and congestive heart failure are some of the common conditions which the elderly are prone to suffering from. The old suffer from diverse medical conditions because of their deteriorating immunity and reduced organ function. The symptoms of cardiomyopathy and congestive heart failure which include edema, crackles, and labored breathing should be adequately managed to fasten recovery and improve the quality of life. The effective management of chronic diseases among the elderly is also a trouble due to poly-pharmacy, cognitive impairment and lack of social support among the elderly (Komajda, 2015). Poor management of the conditions leads to a worse prognosis hence the old require appropriate help to improve the quality of life.
The initial management of Mr. P will include a thorough assessment and treatment of the presenting complaints. The medical professionals should adequately assess and intervene appropriately to manage the condition of the patient. The patient is experiencing difficulty breathing and crackles which indicate edema and fluid accumulation in the pulmonary system. Suctioning should be done to Mr. P to remove the secretions in addition to the administration of bronchodilators to open the airways. Diuretics such as Lasix should be administered to remove the excess water from the body that is causing pulmonary and generalized edema (Rodin, 2014). Respiratory support should be given to the patient through the administration of oxygen to maintain vital organ function.
Mr. P needs a lot of health education on the therapeutic regimen and the coping with the two conditions. A non- threatening climate should be developed to let the client and family express their concerns. Education will be offered in conjunction with the social support which will help in maintaining a regular follow up with the client. Mr. P and his wife will be counseled on the importance of accepting the diagnosis and moving on with life. The importance of compliance with the drug regimen will also be explained to the couple to facilitate adherence (Birren et al, 2014). Follow up care will be implemented to find out how the patient is doing out of the hospital regarding general welfare and drug intake.
Various barriers lie on the way to the effective management of chronic diseases among the elderly. Most elderly have functional limitations such as hearing, visual and mobility issues hence require special attention regarding compliance with treatment. The elderly also experience cognitive limitations, misconceptions and lack of knowledge, low motivation and low self-esteem among other challenges (Komajda, 2015). Effective assessment should be done to recognize the needs of the elderly clients early and meet them adequately based on an individual.
The teaching of the elderly concerning various health messages should involve the use of teaching aids. The old should be conversant with the devices so that they can absorb and utilize the messages efficiently. Teaching aids for the elderly include computer programs with large buttons, texts, and pictures which are enlarged on the screen. The old should also be engaged in interactive computer-based education with brief sessions that boost concentration and attention of the elderly (Rodin, 2014). Information needs to be broken down into simpler bits with a slow pace of teaching and many repetitions. The teaching of the elderly should also involve multiple teaching methods and the evaluation of an individual case scenario. Mr. P, therefore, needs to be treated as a single person without generalizing to all the elderly situations.
References
Birren, J. E., Lubben, J. E., Rowe, J. C., &Deutchman, D. E. (Eds.). (2014). The concept and measurement of quality of life in the frail elderly. Academic Press.
Komajda, M. (2015).Current challenges in the management of heart failure. Circulation Journal, 79(5), 948-953.
Rodin, J. (2014). Health, control, and aging. The psychology of control and aging, 139-165.
